Proper vehicle branding can do a lot for your business. It is an important tool if your vehicles play a major part in your operation. In some cases, they might be the only branding tool you need. This is especially true if your business is local and limited in scope.
But it has to be done properly to be efficient. If you don’t get it right, you might end up wasting thousands of dollars branding your fleet without results. It could even backfire on you if done incorrectly. Let’s take a look at some of the things you should do and also avoid when branding your vehicle.
Do – Keep Things as Neat as Possible
One of the biggest mistakes when designing branded vehicles is information overload. Some owners seem to think that they need to get the most for their money and have their entire life story on the side of their vehicles.
All people need is to know the name of your business, how they can reach you, and what you do. That’s it. Anything more than that is probably too much. Car wraps offer a unique way to promote your brand, but they’re better when stripped down, so look for ways to simplify the design if you feel it might be too busy.
Don’t – Go Too Fancy with the Fonts
If you look at marketing, you’ll notice that there are a handful of fonts that keep coming back. People have started to build a connection with those fonts, to the point that some have been virtually banned or turned to ridicule, like comic-sans, for instance. Do not go for unusual fonts. The goal of a font is not to be decorative but to be easily readable, so focus on picking a font that will be visible from any angle and far distances.
Do – Add a Human Face
People are wired to connect with human faces, so, if you can find a way to incorporate pictures into your design, it could have a great effect. Think how many times you saw the picture of a handyman on the side of a truck? You can already feel how comforting it can be, even if you know nothing about the company.
Another thing you can do is use a mascot. Think about the Michelin Man or Mister Clean. Both have the same comforting feeling and have become bigger than the brand in some respects. This just goes to show how powerful mascots can be as branding tools, so you might want to come up with one if you don’t already.
Don’t – Limit Yourself to the Sides
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is only focusing on the sides of the vehicle. A lot of people will see your vehicle from the back, and not having at least your contact info there would be a waste. Don’t forget that your truck is a 3D object, so think of how good it will look from all directions.
Branded vehicles can do a lot for your business, but you have to execute properly for them to work. Working with a team that has extensive experience can help too.
